This invention pertains to the art of burner assemblies, and more particularly to an infrared burner assembly.
The invention is applicable to a burner assembly used as a portable unit and subject to windy or harsh environments and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it will be appreciated that the invention has broader applications and may be advantageously employed in a wide variety of environments and applications.
Prior designs in existing burner units are subject to a wide variety of problems. The overall goal in designing such a unit is to achieve a radiant surface that provides even, stable heating over the entire surface. This, in turn, provides predictable, uniform heat for whatever final, intended use of the burner unit.
Burner units used in an external environment are often subject to harsh elements, the most significant being windy conditions which adversely impact on the ultimate goal of uniform temperature over the entire heating surface. Oftentimes, an air inlet is too closely disposed to the radiant surface so that backflashing is a common problem. Backflashing results from the recirculation of exhaust gas from the radiant or heating surface to the inlet and/or combustion chamber. The recirculation can provide an unstable operation of the burner unit due to premature combustion of an air/gas mixture.
It is also vital to control distribution of the combusting gas across the radiant surface. Uneven distribution results in cold spots which adversely effect uniform, predictable heating. A wide variety of structures are employed in an effort to stabilize the heating surface. Nonetheless, proposed solutions have not been without problems and not all are adaptable to the particular conditions associated with an external environment.
Another important consideration is the ability to combine the output of individual burner units. Although it is recognized that the burner units are often grouped together for a combined output, designers have often overlooked this ultimate end use and failed to provide a unit that avails itself to a combined or group use.